Conference is to educate public on disease-reversing diet

Published 12:09 pm, Tuesday, March 22, 2016

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Midland is in for a treat -- no, not the sugary or salty kind. A panel of renowned experts will be at the Wagner Noel next month speaking about plant-based nutrition and its impact on disease, stress, sleep and general health.

The wellness event, “Food is Medicine,” is planned for April 2.

One of the speakers is Dr. Scott Stoll, a member of the 1994 U.S. Olympic bobsled team and co-founder of the Plantrician Project and the International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference in Anaheim, California.

He presented a nutrition talk last year at First Baptist Church at the invitation of Dr. Staton Awtrey, a local thoracic and cardiac surgeon, and his wife, registered nurse Blythe Awtrey. To the Awtreys’ surprise, more than 200 physicians, nurses and other hospital staff showed up for the talk.

This launched a local movement, led by physicians and Midland Memorial Hospital, to educate the community on the impact of a plant-based diet: no meat, dairy, oils, refined or processed foods and limited salt intake.

“When presented with the research and data about the huge impact of what we eat has on our health, it’s just amazing” said Marcy Madrid, MMH’s vice president of Planning and Marketing. “People think they’re eating healthy, but they’re really killing themselves. So that information was so compelling and profound, we’d be remiss if we didn’t try to make people aware of this.

“At the end of the day, people make their own decision, but at least we can let them know they have this choice. There are things we can do to control our health. You just need the information,” Madrid said.

Madrid said she noticed a difference when she incorporated these changes in her own diet.

“I always thought I was pretty healthy, but I had fallen for the clever marketing of health products,” Madrid said. “When I started (a plant-based diet), I noticed a big difference in how I felt. I wasn’t sluggish, I didn’t need energy drinks halfway through the day to get me through, I slept better. I realized that my mind thought more clearly. I lost a little weight but that wasn’t the most significant part. The internal health benefits and how you feel, the energy you have, kind of meant more than the weight loss.”

In addition to Stoll, the full-day conference features:

-- Dr. Michael Greger, facilitator of nutritionfacts.org.

Greger testified on behalf of Oprah Winfrey’s successful defense when she was sued by the beef industry.

-- Dr. William C. Roberts, a cardiologist who is editor of the American Journal of Cardiology and the Baylor University Center Proceedings.

-- Nelson Campbell, director of the film “PlantPure Nation,” and president of the non-profit foundation PPN.

Though some meat-lovers and sugar addicts may shun the idea of even considering a plant-based diet, the diet is not as restrictive as some might think.

“It really opens you up to a whole new world of flavors and tastes and ingredients,” Madrid said. “We get so locked on those processed sugars, fat, salt, we forget this whole other world of ingredients -- fresh fruit and vegetables and legumes, natural sweeteners -- that we can eat but just don’t because we’re so focused on the usual suspects. It’s not just salads and bland food.”

Some research has shown that a plant-based diet can help reverse chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol and even the most irreversible diseases such as cancer.

“It’s a little-known topic, but it’s life-changing,” Madrid said. “People don’t know that what they’re eating or doing is having such a huge impact on their health. Maybe a family has had generations of Alzheimer’s or diabetes, or a sister had breast cancer and is suffering from health consequences.

“We’re trying to reach clinicians, physicians, dietitians, as well as lay people. The topic will be applicable enough to apply to a wide variety of people whether you know anything about the medical research or not.”